Communication network utilizing email or web addresses that describe a physical location

ABSTRACT

A communication network utilizing email or web addresses that describe a physical location includes a network for communicating a message to a user, the message having an electronic address that identifies a physical location; a module to send the message to the user utilizing the electronic address; a module for the user to read the message utilizing the electronic address; and a module to identify the user utilizing the physical location. The electronic address may be an email address or a website address, and the description of the physical location may be a nine-digit zip code or a latitude and longitude.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of the filing date of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 61/244,832, filed Sep. 22, 2009, which isincorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to communication and morespecifically to a communication network utilizing email addresses or webaddresses that describe a physical location.

Currently, email addresses are not easily used for marketing becausethere is no systematic way to determine the physical location of ane-mail address owner, to track personal preferences, or to reflectchange of physical address of the email address owner.

It would be desirable to have a system that incorporates technologiesrequiring few people to operate, that is fast, efficient andinexpensive, which is trackable by physical address.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect of the present invention, a system includes a network forcommunicating a message to a user, the message having an electronicaddress that identifies a physical location; a module to send themessage to the user utilizing the electronic address; a module for theuser to read the message utilizing the electronic address; and a moduleto identify the user utilizing the physical location.

In another aspect of the present invention, a communications networkincludes a module to send a message to a user utilizing an electronicaddress, the electronic address including a description of a physicallocation associated with the user; a module for the user to read themessage utilizing the electronic address; and a module to identify theuser utilizing the description of the physical location.

In yet another aspect of the present invention, a method forcommunicating a message includes utilizing a computer to send a messageto a user, the message having an electronic address that identifies aphysical location; utilizing the electronic address to read the message;and utilizing the physical location to identify the user.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 depicts a flow chart of an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 depicts a flow chart of the e-postal module of the embodiment ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 3 depicts a flow chart of the marketing module of the embodiment ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 4 depicts a flow chart of the community module of the embodiment ofFIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 depicts a flow chart of an overview of the embodiment of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The preferred embodiment and other embodiments, which can be used inindustry and include the best mode now known of carrying out theinvention, are hereby described in detail with reference to thedrawings. Further embodiments, features and advantages will becomeapparent from the ensuing description, or may be learned without undueexperimentation. The figures are not necessarily drawn to scale, exceptwhere otherwise indicated. The following description of embodiments,even if phrased in terms of “the invention” or what the embodiment “is,”is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but describes the manner andprocess of making and using the invention. The coverage of this patentwill be described in the claims. The order in which steps are listed inthe claims does not necessarily indicate that the steps must beperformed in that order.

An embodiment of the present invention generally provides a method for avirtual cloud communication network including email/web marketing,social networking and micro blogging, based on physical location asdefined by 9-digit zip codes and/or latitude and longitude coordinates.Embodiments may provide a virtual cloud communication network based onunique physical geographical locations as defined by 9-digit zip codesand/or latitude and longitude coordinates, including email/webmarketing, opt-in mobile marketing, social networking and microblogging.

An embodiment of the present invention may provide a cohesive method forcorrecting current email marketing problems. An embodiment may assign anelectronic address, which may be a unique email, web address, uniformresource locator (URL), or other internet address, correlated to aphysical address, which may be a mailing address or latitude/longitudecoordinates. Embodiments may be called “E-notification” and/orMYZIPMAIL.COM. Embodiments may be for business and residential mailingaddresses in the United States, and may include personal opt-inpreferences. Addresses may be updated bi-monthly with the United Statespostal national change of address updates (NCOA). Internationaladdresses may also be included.

Elements of embodiments of the present invention may include fields thatphysically identify a place or person, concatenated together withdelimiters or delimiters fields to make a valid unique email/webaddress. This may be include the forms:

name.street#.suite/apt#.9digitzipcode@domainname

name.latitude.longitude.apt#@domainname

domainname/name.street#.apt#.9digitzipcode

domainname/name.latitude.longitude.apt#

Examples may include:

georgehavriluk.20400.928873200@myzipmail.com

resident.20400.928873200@myzipmail.com

myzipmail.com/georgehavriluk.33.876639.-117.779435

myzipmail.com/33.876639.-117.779435

Software elements may include basic elements of the assigned uniqueemail/web address. This may include:

name (person at that physical address)

address number only

suite/apt number only

9-digit zip code

domain name

latitude/longitude

An embodiment of a virtual cloud communication network may be based onunique physical geographical locations as defined by 9-digit zip codesand/or latitude and longitude coordinates. Embodiments may includeemail/web marketing, social networking and micro blogging. Embodimentsmay become the communication vehicle for the delivery of information tothe local trackable resident or business by physical addresscorresponding to assigned unique email/web address. Personal preferencesby individual per address may be added to personalize the type ofinformation to be opted-in, as well as forwarding and mobilepreferences.

FIG. 1 depicts an embodiment of a method 100 beginning with entering thesystem 1000 by visiting the website home 1010. The website home 1010 maybe identified by a website address such as MYZIPMAIL.COM, or by an emailaddress, or by another uniform resource locator (URL) that uses text.From the website home 1010, a user may utilize modules e-postal 2000 forviewing e-notifications, marketing 3000 for sending e-notifications, orcommunity 4000 to open an umbrella of social networking and microblogging. The user may then end 1020 the system.

FIG. 2 depicts an embodiment of the e-postal 2000 area of the website.An embodiment of a read only 2010 process may begin viewinge-notifications with a 9-digit zipcode 2020, which may identify aneighborhood with detail level 1, for example “928873200”. The e-postalidentification may more specifically include detail level 2 to identifya building by exact location by adding street number only 2030, forexample “20400”, and if necessary include detail level 3 to identify anexact unit by adding a suite or apartment number only 2050, for example“110.” If preferred, the e-postal identification may include detaillevel 4 to identify an individual person by adding a name 2060, forexample “George.Havriluk”. Alternatively, read only 2010 may begin theprocess of viewing e-notifications with detail level 2 to identifylatitude and longitude coordinates 2040, for example“33.876639;-117.779435”, or more specifically by exact unit, ifnecessary, by adding a detail level 3 suite or apartment number only2050 and if preferred an individual person by adding a detail level 4name 2060. The read only e-notifications may be performed by readingmessages including simple text or graphics (HTML) 2070. In embodiments,no maintenance may be required, and messages may be automaticallydeleted weekly 2080. The e-postal 2000 module may then end 1020.

FIG. 3 depicts an embodiment of the marketing 3000 area of the website.An embodiment of a send only 3010 process may begin sendinge-notifications by registering 3020 and then choosing specificcommunities as recipients of the e-notifications either by 9-digit zipor by latitude and longitude coordinates 3030, with the aid of showingpopulation counters 3040 and showing geographical maps 3050.E-notifications may also be sent to exact location by adding streetnumber only. The users may send messages in either text or graphic(HTML) form 3060, and may utilizing a shopping cart 3070. The marketing3000 module may then end 1020.

FIG. 4 depicts an embodiment of the community 4000 area of the website.An embodiment may allow users to view and/or post to the public bulletinboard 4010. The identification of a member may begin by registering aprofile 4020 with the member's exact location and preferences. Acommunity umbrella of micro blogging and social networking 4100 maycreate a community tied together by geographical location, such as aneighborhood or larger as defined by the user, and/or interest inspecific topics. The community 4000 module may then end 1020. Thecommunity umbrella including social networking and micro blogging 4100may include:

In Touch Contacts 4110, where a user may keep in touch with contactsmade through the site;

Post/Accept Invitations 4120, to manage invitations by posting oraccepting invitations to local events;

Ask and Answer questions 4130, to ask and answer questions within theuser's community;

Gather Information 4140, to gather information to share about communityevents;

Neighborhood Watch 4150, to report things going on in the neighborhood,such as crimes, events, etc.;

Join Group 4160, to join other groups to connect the user with others toshare experiences;

Professional Referrals 4170, to give and receive referrals, such as forhome improvement or other professional in the user's area;

Personal Referrals 4180, for the user to network with neighbors forbusiness and personal opportunities;

Webinar or Video Conference 4190, to meet with others in theneighborhood electronically; and

Physical Meeting 4195, to plan an in-person meeting to buildrelationships.

FIG. 5 depicts an embodiment of the present invention in overview flowchart form, encompassing FIGS. 1-4.

An embodiment may be performed by computer servers.

Other embodiments may be used for database collection, collection ofcensus information, electronic voting, collection of consumer/businesslist information, or as alternatives to traditional email marketingsystems.

Embodiments may produce lists of information useful for local andnational opt-in database marketing for residential/business bygeographical and/or opt-in individual preferences. Other embodiments maybe for emergency notification during natural disasters.

Embodiments may include a method for a virtual cloud communicationnetwork based on unique physical geographical locations as defined by9-digit zip codes and/or latitude and longitude coordinates, includingemail/web marketing, social networking and micro blogging. The uniqueemail/web address may include a group of fields related to a physicallocation, the fields selected from the group consisting of: name, streetnumber, suite/apt. number, 9-digit zip code, and latitude/longitude, themethod comprising: including in the email address, delimiters todistinguish between the fields; concatenating the fields and delimitersinto a single unique email/web address; associating at least one of thefields with a physical location; and utilizing the unique email/webaddress and the physical location in association with communicating anemail/web message, e-notification.

1. A system, comprising: a network for communicating a message to auser, the message having an electronic address that identifies aphysical location; a module to send the message to the user utilizingthe electronic address; a module for the user to read the messageutilizing the electronic address; and a module to identify the userutilizing the physical location.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein theelectronic address includes a nine-digit zip code to identify thephysical location.
 3. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronicaddress includes a latitude and longitude to identify the physicallocation.
 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic address is anemail address.
 5. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic addressis a website address.
 6. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronicaddress includes a plurality of text fields, concatenated together withdelimiters to separate the text fields.
 7. The system of claim 1,wherein the electronic address includes a name of a person.
 8. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein the electronic address includes an addressnumber of a place.
 9. The system of claim 1, wherein the module to sendthe message utilizes the physical location to identify a user and thenthe module utilizes the electronic address to communicate the message tothe user.
 10. The system of claim 1, further comprising: a module thatcollects information in a database, the information correlating theelectronic address with a person.
 11. The system of claim 10, whereinpreferences of the person may be added to the system to personalize thetype of information in the database.
 12. The system of claim 1, furthercomprising: a community module for the user to perform social networkingand micro blogging.
 13. The system of claim 1, wherein the module toidentify the user utilizing the physical location includes a communitymodule for social networking and micro blogging.
 14. A communicationsnetwork comprising: a module to send a message to a user utilizing anelectronic address, the electronic address including a description of aphysical location associated with the user; a module for the user toread the message utilizing the electronic address; and a module toidentify the user utilizing the description of the physical location.15. The system of claim 14, wherein the electronic address is an emailaddress or a website address.
 16. The system of claim 14, wherein thedescription of the physical location is a nine-digit zip code or alatitude and longitude.
 17. The system of claim 14, wherein theelectronic address includes a plurality of text fields concatenatedtogether, the fields selected from the group consisting of: name, streetnumber, suite/apartment number, 9-digit zip code, andlatitude/longitude.
 18. The system of claim 14, wherein the module toidentify the user utilizing the description of the physical locationincludes social networking and micro blogging.
 19. A method forcommunicating a message, comprising: utilizing a computer to send amessage to a user, the message having an electronic address thatidentifies a physical location; utilizing the electronic address to readthe message; and utilizing the physical location to identify the user.20. The method of claim 19, wherein the description of the physicallocation is a nine-digit zip code or a latitude and longitude.